


Crouching on Cobblestones

by contrequirose



Series: miscellaneous musings (drabbles, ficlets, and other short things) [3]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Multi, dont think too hard about the context for this maybe, eodwulf and astrid get greater restorationed and join the mighty nein au, eodwulf is prime hug material, i geuss, prompt for this was Eodwulf being buff and it turned into a sickfic, soft but with hints of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 03:07:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19033513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/contrequirose/pseuds/contrequirose
Summary: With a detached sense of purpose, his hands catch fire, and he enjoys the warmth for a few moments before Eodwulf’s larger hands cover his, snuffing out the flames.He frowns, blinking up at him, but Eodwulf’s frowning right back. He sits down on the cobblestones next to him, and he tucks his head against his friend’s neck.Eodwulf gathers his hands in his, and slowly massages some of the tension out. It feels less like ice, now.It’s nice.(ficlet request for fidgemimic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank uuuuu, :3)





	Crouching on Cobblestones

**Author's Note:**

> warning: its short. what a suprise. part of the fic requests i did last night! hope u enjoy :3

It’s been two months since they had wandered into the decaying shell of Ikithon’s cottage in the graying wildlands and found Astrid and Wulf, left alone after Ikithon’s death in the basement that he had spent hours torturing and being tortured in.

 

Two months since Jester and Caduceus had spent spell slot after spell slot casting Greater Restoration, Lesser Restoration, Remove curse, over and over again for days as he watched his friends struggle and shake through years on enchantment and false memories until –

 

One month and three weeks since Astrid had blinked her eyes open and whispered, “Bren – we – you’re alive?”

One month and three weeks since Eodwulf had woken up hyperventilating and swinging, clipping him in the jaw and Beauregard in the chest before he had calmed, hands shaking as he stared at a world where he was no longer under Ikithon’s control.

 

One week since they had made their way back here, to their home in Xhorhouse, with his group and friends, now, in tow.

Things are still – tenuous, at best. There are pitfalls of memories that he could wander into at any moment and barely knows the edges of, for Astrid and Wulf, trauma that he missed while he was tearing himself apart in the Asylum, but some holes are trauma that formed with him in mind, and those he’s able to step around, treating them with a care that he doesn’t spare for himself.

 

They aren’t at the house right now though. Instead, Jester’s dragged him and Astrid and Wulf out for some “not sunshine because the sun doesn’t shine here, obviously, but moonlight, and talking to people who aren’t each other, and new clothes because if I cast mending any more times on those they’re going to fall apart at the seams –“, and they are wandering through the markets of the outer district of Rosohna, Astrid and Wulf linked hand in hand while he treads next to Jester’s exuberant skipping.

 

He’s exhausted. He’d pulled another all-nighter last night, working his way through a copied spell from Essek’s book to avoid drowning in memories, and it shows in the bags under his eyes and the way his feet drag with every step.

They’re stopping at yet another clothing store, Jester dragging Astrid inside while the other woman grimaces, and he blinks as his vision wavers.

He blinks, again, and the grey filling his eyes washes back out to the darkness of the Rosohna day. A hand touches his elbow, lightly, like it’s scared to press further for fear of hurting him, and he turns to see Eodwulf watching him with his brows furrowed.

“Are you – are you okay?”

He nods, and blinks again as tiredness creeps up his limbs and he shifts, balance gone, before sitting down hard on the cobblestones.

A hand presses against his forehead, and he swats at it, blinking his eyes back open from where they had been closed.

“I think you have a fever, Bren. Did you – you didn’t sleep last night.”

He blinks, again, and Eodwulf groans, scraping a hand down his chin. “You didn’t eat this morning, either, did you.”

“ _Nein_. Didn’t – stomach was bothering me.”

It’s cold out here, all of a sudden. Like ice pressing against his veins and making the old breaks in his fingers ache.

Maybe if he –

With a detached sense of purpose, his hands catch fire, and he enjoys the warmth for a few moments before Eodwulf’s larger hands cover his, snuffing out the flames.

He frowns, blinking up at him, but Eodwulf’s frowning right back. He sits down on the cobblestones next to him, and he tucks his head against his friend’s neck.

Eodwulf gathers his hands in his, and slowly massages some of the tension out. It feels less like ice, now.

It’s nice.

Jester and Astrid emerge from the store a few minutes later, Jester holding a bundle of colorful fabric while Astrid stares, bemused and strangely fond.

Jester pouts at seeing him leaning against Eodwulf. “Caleb,” she sings, “Did you trip? If I need to heal you when there wasn’t even a fight, Caduceus is going to be so disappointed – oh.” She takes in his flushed cheeks, how his eyes are glazed slightly, the shake in his hands that he can’t quite quell.

“Shit. I didn’t prepare lesser restoration today – can you wait till we get back to the house, Caleb? I think Cad grabbed that one today.”

He nods, blinking fuzziness out his eyes, and stands up.

Well.

Tries to, at least, because the instant he’s upright his vision tilts and he finds himself falling back against Eodwulf, the world spinning around him.

At least he manages not to vomit.

Eodwulf catches him, and then, with a slow breath, keeps him pressed against his side.

“Bren, do you want me to carry out?”

Oh. That would be – nice.

He nods, against Wulf’s shoulder, and then obligingly hops up on Wulf’s back as the other man slides his arms under his legs, now slung across his back.

He sighs, and closes his eyes, pressing his head against Wulf’s neck.

He’s sure he’ll be embarrassed about showing this much affection later, when Astrid is free to tease him about it and Jester pokes him.

But for now – he’s dizzy but safe on Wulf’s back, and he keeps his eyes closed, secure in the knowledge that his friend won’t let him fall.

Perks of having a ~~boyfriend~~ best friend that’s buff: being carried.

Other things, too, but that one’s a big plus.

 

 


End file.
